Photographic apparatus



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Dec. 29, 1942. H. G. KLEMM ET AL PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Filed April 6, 1940 10 Sheets-Sheet l0 Patented Dec. 29, 1942 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Herman G. Klemm, Kingsville, and Charles H. Niles, Baltimore, Md., assignors to The Glen L. Martin Company, Baltimore, Md.

1940, Serial No. 328,224

Application April 6,

Claims.

vide a mechanism for properly supporting and illuminating any photographic subject, whether a flat member such as a drawing of which a photograph is to be taken or a sensitized flat member, which mechanism is adjustable as desired to vary the distance between the camera or pro-' jector and the subject.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for supporting. flat articles .on a movable support, in the path of a photographic apparatus.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which permits desired enlargement or reduction in the dimensions of a photographic subject.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel illuminating mechanism for a photographic subject which is mounted on a support, this mechanism operating in a panoramic fashion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel mechanism for illuminating an object to be photographed, in such a manner that it is easy to adjust the degree of exposure. More particularly, this feature of the invention contemplates a panoramic arrangement by which the dimensions of that portion of the subject exposed or illuminated at any one time maybe varied, while by varying the number of passages of the light across the subject the degree of exposure can also be regulated.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be seen from the following description, particularly which taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingswhich form a part thereof. 5

In the drawings: K\

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation an assembly embodying the invention, the carriage which forms the principal feature of the invention being shown at the right of this figure;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 1 of the carriage itself;

Fig. 3 is a front view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a rear View thereof;

Fig. 5 is a top plan .view thereof Fig. 6 is a detailed side elevation of the rear wheels of the carriage;

Fig. '7 is a cross-section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a detailed side elevation of the front Wheels of the carriage;

Fig. 9 is a detailed cross-section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a detailed cross-section on the line I Fig. 11 is a front elevation of the auxiliary carriage;

Fig. 12 is a cross-section on the line I2l2 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 is a cross-section on the line H-I4 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 15 is a detailed front elevation partly in section of one of the adjustable motor reversing stops;

Fig. 16 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 1'7 is a detail of a portion of the panel of the carriage in front view;

Fig. 18 is a cross-section on the line I8--l8 of Fig. 1'7, and

Fig. 19 is a wiring diagram of the apparatus.

The apparatus as shown embodies primarily a camera A, a movable carriage B which forms the essential feature of the invention, and a second carriage C. Carriages B and C are arranged in two rooms separated by a wall 2, through which the camera A extends,

The invention is to be used primarily'in one of the following manners. In the first use, an article to be copied, for example, a photographic subject such as a mechanical drawing made on a sheet of painted metal as disclosed in the copending application executed herewith, is placed on the carriage B. A photograph of this is taken by the camera A, in a manner to be described below, or larger negatives may be made on carriage C.

In the other use, a sensitized element, for example an element of the type described in the copending application, is placed on the carriage B, then a negative is placed in the camera A and projected by a light carried by carriage C onto the sensitive plate.

The details of the camera A, and of the carriage C except insofar as it is similar to the carriage B, need not be described. The present application involves primarily the structure and operation of the carriage B.

Carried by the ceiling 4 or supported in any 2 other. suitable manner are a pair of parallel tracks. These tracks as shown for example in Fig. 7 each include a web portion 8 connected to the ceiling 4 and lower flanges I having a flat 7 upper and lower transversely extending frame and guide members 30 and 32 respectively. the lower guide member 32 being braced by an angle member 34.

The connection between the carriage and the tracks is shown in detail in Figs. 6 to 8. The mounting of .the rear wheels is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Upstanding from the carriage frame are arms 36 on opposite sides of the web portion 8 of the track, and rotatably mounted in these arms are flanged wheels 38 which run on the flanges ill, the flanges of the wheels engaging the edges of flanges Iii.

Also carried by the frame beneath the rails are four pairs of bolts 40. Slidably mounted on the upper ends of these bolts are pairs of triangular frame members 42, which are held upward resiliently away from the frame by coil springs 44 surrounding-the bolts and located between the frame members 42 and the frame of the carriage. Rotatably mounted in each pair of members 42 is a pneumatic wheel 45 which engages the lower face l2 of the rail. The wheel or tire t6 is thus pressed resiliently against the lower surface of the rail.

Fig. 8 shows the front mounting, which corresponds to the rear mounting. It includes two upright arms 36 mounting the wheels 38, and the frame members 42 mounting the rubber tire 46.

The carriage frame further carries inside the rails uprights 45 in which are rotatably mounted rollers 41 engaging the inside edges of flanges in.

Current from the rail pairs I8, 20, 22 and 24 is taken off by shoes 48, 50; 52, 54; 56, 58 and 60, 62 respectively. Each of these shoes is carried by one of the upstanding arms 36, being mounted thereon by an arm 64 pivoted on a pin 66 and urged inwardly to cause the shoes to engage the rail by a coil spring 58. It will be noted that the arms 64 on the rear wheel carrying members are shorter than those on the front, so as to engage the lower rails. Current connection is made from the shoes to the various devices located on the carriage by flexible cables it conductively connected to the shoes.

The carriage is thus mounted for movement in the direction of the rails. Such movement is produced by rubber tired wheels 12 (Fig. 6) driven through shafts it and gearing it by an electric motor '18 (Fig. 5). Motor E8 is of the reversible type having two coils 8t and &2 which when energized cause the motor to turn in opposite directions (Fig. 19). Coilstfi and 82 at one end are electrically connected together, and are connected through shoe 52 to one of the rails 253, the two rails being connected to a' source of. current of fairly high tension, for example 440 volts. The other terminals of coils 80 and 32 are connected respectively to shoes 56 and 58, and thus to rails 22. These terminals are also connected respectively to the spaced contacts to of a two-way switch 86 which in turn is coniscted to shoe 54 engaging the other of the rails Rails 22, on the other hand, are connected to the terminals 88 of a two-way switch 90, the blade of which is in turn connected to the same side of the 440 volt currentsource as the shoe 54.

The switch 84, 86 is preferably mounted on the carriage itself and is manually operable. In this connection it should be, noted that the broken line outline in Fig. 19 encloses those parts of the mechanism which are carried by the carriage and indicate as well portions of the rails, wherea all parts not within this broken line outline are located off the carriage. The switch 88, 90 is preferably located as indicated on the left-hand side of wall 2 (Fig. 1), so that the position of the carriage may be controlled from the room behind the camera.

It is obvious that. by shifting switch 86 to engage one or the other of contacts 84, current will flow through one of the coils or 82 and the motor will be driven in the desired direction. The same effect may be obtained by moving switch blade to engage one'of the contacts 80.

In order to indicate the position of the carriage, or the distance of the front face of the panel thereof, which is to be described below, from the camera, the lower face l2 of one of the rails 6 is provided with a scale 92 (see Fig. 10). Mounted on the carriage frame is a pointer 94 having a portion bent over as at 96 opposite the scale 92. The reading of the pointer may be examined at any time by means of a light bulb 98 located on the carriage and shielded from below, but positioned so as to illuminate the tip 96 of the pointer 98. Lamp 98 may be controlled by a suitable switch it mounted on the carriage, and receiving current through shoes 48 and 59 and rails it from a suitable volt source of current connected to the rails l8.

The upper and lower cross frame members 30 and 32 support between them a large flat panel I02. This panel. is provided on its surface with a series of vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines, indicated for example at H14 (Fig. 3). One purpose of these lines is to aid in the centering of a photographic subject on the panel. The panel is also provided with a plurality of apertures I08 therethrough, the positions of these apertures being indicated in Fig. 3. From each aperture, and preferably in partial coincidence with lines ltd, extend grooves H38 in the face of the panel m2. The arrangement of these grooves is indicated by the heavy lines on the face of the panel in Fig, 3.

The openings we are connected at the back of the panel by suitable pipes IE9 to a manifold consisting of a flexible hose H0. One of these hoses is provided On each side of the machine, and they are connected to suitable air suction devices N2, of the type of the ordinary vacuum cleaner, for example. Air suction devices i 92 are operated by motors Md which are supplied with current by shoes 58 and 50 from rails 68, and are controlled by a switch H6 mounted on the carriage.

When a flat article is to be held on the panel m2, the switch H6 is closed and the motors of the air suction devices are started. This causes air to be sucked through all of the holes m6. If now a flat article is placed on the face of panel M32, it will overlie some of the holes I66 and the corresponding grooves M8, the grooves will distribute the lower pressure over the back of the subject, and the normal atmospheric pressure on the front will cause the subject to ad here securely in position on the panel.

If the subject is not sufliciently flat to adhere closely enough to the surface of the panel to prevent the escape of air aroundits edges, and thus to maintain the suction, the edges may be sealed for example with an adhesive masking tape taken from reels II8 mounted on the front of the carriage in a convenient location.

. The front of panel I02 may be suitably illuminated for ordinary manipulation by a pair of light bulbs I22 carried on the front cross member 28, or by a safe light I24, also mounted on the front cross member. Bulbs I22 and safe light I24 are connected through switches I26 and I28 respectively, mounted on the carriage, to shoes 48 and 50 and thus to the rails I8 and the source of 110 volt current. It is thus possible by closing the switches to illuminate the panel with either source of light.

In order to illuminate a drawing carried by the panel I02, the panoramic arrangement shown in' particular in Figs. 11 to -16 is provided.

This is composed of an auxiliary carriage formed by a bottom wall I30, a top wall I32 and vertical walls I34. Vertical walls I34 as shown in Fig. 14 are of parabolic form, to act as reflectors for vertically arranged illuminating members, such as mercury vapor tubes, I36.

These tubes thus illuminate the surface of the panel behind the auxiliary carriage but are shielded from the camera.

The auxiliary carriage is mounted for move- 1 ment across the face of the panel by wheels I38,

I39 engaging the upper and lower edges of the cross guides and 32 respectively. Movement of the carriage is produced by a motor I40 mounted in the top thereof and driving a wheel I42 which engages a portion of the lower surface of the top cross guide 30. It is obvious that by rotation of the motorin one direction or the other the auxiliary carriage will travel in one direction or the other across the face of the panel. I

The side members I34 are spaced apart to provide an exposure gap I44 therebetween. It is desirable to be able to regulate the width of this gap. This is accomplished by curtains I48 of flexible but opaque material, which are mounted on opposite sides of the space I44 on vertically arranged ordinary spring rollers I50. Cables I52 connected to the rollers and passing over idling rollers I54 are all led to a drum I56 mounted on one of the side members I34. The cables are so arranged, as shown in the drawings, that when drum I56 is turned in one direction both curtains are pulled towards each other, while when it is turned in the other direction the curtains are allowed to move apart under the action of their spring rollers I50. The position of drum I56 is suitably controlled by giving it a frictional mounting having sufflcient friction to overcome the tension of the spring rolls I50.

It is obvious that by turning the drum I56 in one direction or the other the distance between the curtains may be varied. I

Likewise mounted on the carriage I29 is a reversing switch I58 which has its two terminals connected to the coils I60 and I62 respectively of the motor I40 which drives the auxiliary carriage. The blade of this reversing switch is operated by a lever I64 (Fig. 13) having a fork engageable with a pin I86 carried by a rod I68 longitudinally slidable in frames I10 carried by the top portion I32 of the auxiliary carriage,

this rod being located behind the wheels I38. Rod I88 is so mounted that, as it moves with the auxiliary carriage, at each end of its path it will engage a head I12 of a pin I14 slidably mounted in a bracket I16 and urged towards the center of the panel by a coil spring I18 (Figs. 16 and 16). Bracket I16 is adjustably fixed on the top edge of top cross guide 30 by a suitable set screw I80. It is apparent that as the carriage moves towards each end of its path, the rod I68 will cause a reversal of the switch, and thus cause the carriage to travel back towards its original position. By adjusting the positionof the stop mechanisms I16, the travel of the carriage can be varied.

Current is supplied to the auxiliary carriage, both for the vapor tubes I36 and for the reversing switch I58 and motor I42, through flexible cables I82 which hang down from the ends of cross guide 30 and thus may follow the auxiliary carriage in its transverse movement. The cables I82 carry all of the different lines necessary for the operation of the auxiliary carriage.

Motor I40 may be operated through a switch I84 mounted on the carriage and through which one or the other of the motor coils I60, I62 is connected through shoes 48 and 50' and rails I8 to the 110 volt source of current. The motor may also be controlled, however, by a switch I86 located off the carriage, and preferably adjacent the switch 88, for the main carriage motor 18. Opposite terminals of switch I86 are connected to rails 24, which in turn are connected through shoes 62 and 50 to one rail I8, and through shoe 60 to reversing switch 68 and thus to the auxiliary carriage motor. Thus when the switch I8f is closed the auxiliary carriage will be forced to move back and forth across the face of the aux iliary panel.

The vapor lamps I36 are operated by transformers I88 having their primary coils connectet through a switch I90 to shoes 52 and 54. By closing switch I90 transformers I88 are thus connected to the 440 volt source, and the lamps I36 are illuminated.

The carriage may be held in any position by the mechanism shown in Figs. 8 and 9. A frame I94 carried b the carriage frame has threaded therein a downwardly extending handle I95, provided at its upper end with a shoe I98 guided against turning movement by downwardly extending pins 200 slidable in frame I94. By tuming handle I96 shoe I98 may be pushed upwardly against the bottom of the rail 6, so as to lock the carriage in any given position.

In use, if a photograph is tobe made of a subject carried by the carriage, the switch H6 is closed and the article is properly positioned on the front of the panel I02, where it will be held in position by the suction of the motors I I4. The operator then examines the subject through the camera A, and adjusts the focus of the camera, or the position of the carriage by switch 90, until the desired size and sharpness of image is obtained. The lights I22, I24 may be used for this purpose. Thereafter, lights I22, I24 are extin guished and a sensitive plate is placed in the camera.

The flexible curtains I48 are first adjusted to expose the desired portion of the subject at any one time. The switch I90 is then closed so as to energize the vapor tubes I36. The switch I86 is now closed, and the auxiliary carriage begins to move across the front of the panel over the subject. As the carriage moves across, it passes over the subject and thus illuminates it.

4 asoasss I16, the switch I58 is reversed, and the carriage moves back until it reaches the other end of its travel determined by the position of a second stop. Obviously the number of passages of the illuminating mechanism across the subject may becontrolled by the switch I86, so that any desired degree of illumination and of exposure of each portion of the subject and of the plate in the camera A can be obtained.

If a negative of greater size than can be produced in the camera A is desired, a sensitive plate may be carried by the carriage C, and supported thereon by suction in the same manner as for the carriage B.

If now a copy is to be made of a negative, the negative may be placed in the camera A and illuminated through means carried by carriage C, or a negative carried by carriage C may be projected onto the panel M12. The carriage may then be adjusted until the desired focus and proportion are reached. The carriage is then stopped, and the sensitive plate is placed on the panel and held thereon by suction. The safe light in is 'used during this procedure. The camera is now opened, and the sensitized plate exposed for the desired period, after which it is developed and used in the usual manner.

While we have described herein one embodiment of our invention we wish it to be understood that we do not intend to limit ourselves thereby except within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In photographic apparatus, the combination of a fixed camera, and a movable copyholder mounted on a carriage, track means therefor, means mounting said carriage for movement on said track means, electrically conducting rails mounted on said trackmeans, shoes carried by said carriage and engaging said rails, a motor mounted on said carriage, means connected to said motor to drive the carriage along the track means, a source of current connected to some of said rails, a switch connected to others of said rails, said switch being stationary with respect to the rails, and means connecting said rails to said motor whereby said switch controls the supply of current to the motor from said source.

2. In photographic apparatus, the combination of a fixed camera, and a movable copyholder, a pair of elevated tracks, a carriage on which said copyholder is mounted, means mounting said carriage for movement on said tracks, electrically conducting rails mounted on said tracks, shoes carried by said carriage and engaging said rails,

carriage along the tracks, a source of current connected to some of said rails, a switch connected to others of said rails, said switch being stationary with respect to therails, and means connecting said rails to said motor whereby said switch controls the supply of current to the motor from said source.

3. In photographic apparatus comprising a fixed camera, a stationary frame mounted above a motor mounted on said carriage, a wheel;

and extending outwardly from said camera, track means supported by said frame, conducting rails paralleling said track means, a carriage supporting an illuminated copyholder, means mounting said carriage for movement on said track means including an electric motor, collecting shoes mounted on said carriage contacting said rails to supply power for moving said carriage and illuminating said copyholder, a source of current connected to some of said rails, aswitch connected to other of said rails, said switch being stationary with respect to the rails, and means connecting said rails to said motor whereby said switch controlsthe supply of current to the motor from said source.

4. In photographic apparatus comprising a camera, a stationary frame, a pair of tracks supported by said frame, a plurality of conducting rails paralleling said tracks, a carriage adapted to support a photographic subject, said carriage having mounted thereon a plurality of power units, collecting shoes mounted on said carriage contacting said rails whereby electric power is supplied to the various power units on said carriage, said carriage having motor driven wheels supporting said carriage for motion along said track, remote control means for controlling the power to the rails furnishing power to said wheel motors whereby the position of the carriage with respect to the camera may be established from some remote point.

5. In photographic apparatus comprising a wall, a camera mounted in and extending through said wall, a carriage mounted for motion normal to said wall on track means, conducting rails paralleling said track means, collecting shoes mounted on the carriage to furnish power to move said carriage, a panel mounted on said carriage and extending transverse to the direction of motion of said carriage and parallel to said wall, means mounted on said carriage to secure a photographic subject on said panel comprising a motor driven suction device, other collecting shoes carried by said carriage contacting said rails to furnish power to said motor driven suction device, switch means controlling the power .in said rails whereby the operation of the power units on said carriage may be controlled from some remote point.

HERMAN G. KLEMM. CHARLES H. NILES. 

